


Familiar ghost of the past

by Poetforlost



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Other, Sparrow Academy, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2020-10-14
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:14:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 12,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26666530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Poetforlost/pseuds/Poetforlost
Summary: The Hargreeves got into wrong timeline. What they didn't know is they would find unexpected ally.akaFive is no longer the only feral time travelling assasin. But there is much more into it.
Kudos: 9





	1. Wounds that kept bleeding

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [the walls kept tumbling down](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25670050) by [Ingu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ingu/pseuds/Ingu). 



> I have to give credits to amazing Ingu and the fanfic : the walls kept tumbling down   
> That fanfic served as starting point for mine. I borrowed lot of its building points. Please go and read it as well!  
> Characters with ! before their name are Sparrow Academy versions of Hargreeves (!Luther, !Allison, etc.)

„What did I miss?“ N!Five asked her siblings standing at the balcony, looking at something. As she shoved two grapes in her mouth she caught distant murmur.   
  
_Five! Dad! You have to help him! What happened....is that blood?_

She pushed away !Luther which he was not pleased with.  
„Shut up! You didn’t answer my question did you?“   
N!Five finally saw what they were looking at. Under the balcony there was a group of six that looked just like them. Reginald was standing near them, strong disapproval painted his face. The big guy who must be !Luther 's counterpart was yelling at Reginald. The rest of them were hovering over someone.   
N!Five started putting pieces together.   
  
_Shit! Is that?_

On the ground lay a boy in school uniform. His other brother was pushing his hands on his chest. They were bloody. Shit, there was so much blood that she could clearly see it from the balcony. The boy let out a painful groan. „You need to help him! He is gonna die!“ begged him Luther again. Reginald just kept staring at them. „And why would I do that?“

That was all she needed. She jumped right in front of him. That did crack his composure slightly.  
N!Five grabbed him by the collar and brought his face inches away from hers.  
„Listen to me you little shit,“ she hissed at him through her teeth, „the only reason why you are still alive is him.“ She pointed at The Boy on the ground who was now horribly still. Probably not breathing. „So you better help him or I swear to God I will kill ALL of your darling children.“ The idea painted a smile over her face. A psychotic smile.  
„You wouldn’t dare.“ Reginald hissed back, hint of doubt behind his words.   
„Wanna try me?!“ Reginald understood she was being more than serious. He immediately turned to Luther.   
„Take him and follow me.“ Within seconds they were on the way to the medical wing. Grace was there in resting mode, ready to help. N!Five was sure of that. She let out a sigh and then clenched her jaw as she realised that all eyes were on her. Both strangers and her siblings were staring at her.

 _Oh, fuck off._ she thought. Her gaze met with !Diego’s. He scoffed and she could feel his vibrating rage. She shifted into a fighting stance. _C’mon, you asshole._


	2. The Rule of protection

N!Five jumped to the medical wing.  
“SHIT!” exclaimed the one who was trying to stop the bleeding a few minutes ago.  
“You are Klaus, huh?” she noticed the tattoos on his palms. Barely visible because of dry blood, but she still recognized them.  
“Oh, you know me?” his voice was shaking.  
“How is your brother?” she ignored the question.  
“Hey, you wanna wipe the blood.” Noted the small woman sitting next to him.

 _Vanya,no doubt_.

N!Five touched in confusion her nose. It was bleeding. Fucking !Diego.  
“What do you want with him?” came from behind her. Allison was bringing in wet towels. To wipe the blood away from hands.  
“I have some unfinished business with him.” N!Five jumped to steal one of the towels for her nose. Allison had no chance dodging her.  
“Any business with him is with us.”  
“Not really.”  
“Then fuck off.” Shot back Allison. N!Five couldn’t grasp the audacity. Rage filled her veins but she was still a bit worn out from the fight. She curled her palms into fists. Spasm of pain ran through them.

 _Bad idea_.

  
“I wonder if your brain is damaged from time travel because it seems that you forgot one tiny important detail.” Klaus uncomfortably shifted on the floor. “ I am the only reasons why your brother haven’t bled out on the floor and why you all idiots can sit here!” N!Five gestured at all of them slummed against the wall.  
“I doubt they have any brains at all.”

 _Shit._ The last thing she needed.

N!Five turned around. All of her siblings were standing in front of them.  
“What are you doing here? This is the medical wing.” They have no business being here. “Oh !Diego...I hope I didn’t hurt you too bad?” she tilted her head to the side with mocking concern.  
“In your fucking dream.” He spat back.  
“We came here to talk to that boy.” Stepped in !Luther. Allison next to him chuckled. They were here for anything but talking. N!Five knew that.  
“You mean the boy who is unconscious? You know the one who almost died? You wanna talk to him?”  
“Precisely. And you will let us.” Insisted Luther. N!Five had to laugh. He really had zero brain cells.  
“You are not doing anything until he is fully recovered and able to defend himself against whatever the fuck you are trying to do here.”  
“Hey guys, I don’t know what is going on here but-“ tried to interfere Klaus but N!Five quickly shut him down.  
“Stay out of this. And you all-“ she pointed especially at !Luther who was starting to turn red, “are giving me no other choice. Because clearly you are the ones without a brain here, I am forced to do this.” She straightened her up. Stern gaze locked on her face. “ I am declaring a rule of protection.” She claimed steadily. Her siblings gave out sighs and before they could say anything she continued. “The Boy and all of his siblings are from now on under MY protection. You want to talk to them, you have to go through me. You want to look at them, you have to go through me. You want to do as much as breathe in their presence, you have to go through me. Any one of you break this rule, I will break you. Got it?”  
!Luther shook his head and took a step forward. N!Five jumped right in front of him. She stuck her finger into his chest. “!Luther, I could snap your neck before you could even blink. Back off.”  
His eyes formed into slits. “This isn’t over.”  
Then he turned and gave a gesture to the rest of them. They were leaving. For now. Only !Allison hasn't moved. N!Five looked at her. Smile at !Allison's face was plain and very telling. Sharp pain ran through N!Five chest. Breath caught in midway. She had to pull herself together to not fall to her knees. She blinked wildly trying to clear her vision. _I_

 _’m not giving you the pleasure ,!Allison_.

Another wave of pain, this time also in her head. It felt like a hundred bombs going off at once. She let out a wheezing breath.  
“Really?” that one word took much more effort that should have.  
“You think your little rule can stop me?” !Allison was so sure of herself. The rest of siblings were standing still. !Diego was playing with his knives, clearly pleased with what was happening. N!Five had to remember what Reginald taught her. He was fully aware that siblings would have no remorse to use their power against each other. He had no other choice but to teach them how to defend themselves. The trick with !Allison’s power was that only another rumour could stop it. Or that was what everyone thought. N!Five had other tricks in her sleeve. Her thoughts were interrupted by another sensation. !Allison was getting cocky. Now it all felt like a thousand bullets piercing her flesh. She had no idea how she still stood. N!Five closed her eyes. With such hardship she took three deep breaths. Each one of them sharp as a razor. With the last one she jumped. As she appeared behind !Allison , she kicked her knees with full force. !Allison quickly buckled down with a scream.  
“YOU BITCH!”  
“After you.” She jumped back again.  
!Luther picked up !Allison and carried her out. The rest followed as sheep. When they were out of sight, N!Five fell to her knees. Wave of dizziness washed over her.

_This day can’t get any better._

“You okay?” small voice asked her. 

_I guess in both timelines, Vanya is the kindest one._

“I’m fine.” N!Five groaned. That was a fucking lie. But they all are nothing but strangers to her. She gathered the last of her strength and jumped again. Slumming herself against the wall. She knew she couldn't jump that soon. Or there will be retribution. She would kill for coffee.  
“I see we all are having the best day, huh?” Klaus tried to joke. But the smile was only on his lips. His green eyes were somewhere in distance. Not present, not looking. N!Five wondered what happened to him. But then again, she didn’t care.  
“The best of best.” She said. “Now, where were we?”  
“What is the rule of protection?” spoke up the man hidden in the corner.

_Diego, no doubt. But this one has long hair. Good to know how to separate them._

N!Five wanted to answer but before she could say anything, her eyes closed. Sleep took her. But that didn’t mean she was gonna get some rest.


	3. Not again

Ashes filled N!Five's lungs. Her eyes snapped open. She was awake. Or that’s how it felt. The air was dry. As if fire ate all oxygen left. N!Five looked around. Wasteland.

_FUCK._

She was back.

_No, no, no._

Her heart started racing. She had to lean over as an urge to vomit took over her body.

_Cockroaches._

The slimy texture she knew too well. Air shifted. Suddenly she was in a dark room. Smell of blood was staining the room.

_Shit!_

N!Five looked at her hands. Uncomfortably warm. Blood dripping down. 

“Are you done?” the man's voice echoed through her ear drums. She whirled around. There was no one. The cold metal dug into her forehead. She closed her eyes. 

  
She jolted awake. This time for real. The room was lit with a small lamp. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest.

_Water, I need water._

She noticed a blanket draped over her body.

_This is not where I fell asleep._

  
“Hey.” Soft voice took her attention. Vanya shifted in her chair. Rubbing her eyes. She obviously just woke up.   
“How did I get here?” N!Five murmured as she tried to catch her breath.

_You are fine, you’re back. Fucking hell, just breathe._

She started counting her fingers in mind.   
“Uh, Luther...my brother... he brought you here. I mean the floor didn’t seem the most comfortable.” Vanya left out a soft chuckle.   
“I’ve slept on worse.” On the rubble of a burned city. On concrete. Under trees. In the cold. In a sandstorm. N!Five shook her head. She couldn’t afford to think of any of that anymore. “How long was I out?”  
“Quite some time.”  
“How long?”  
“I’m not sure. Hours.” Vanya got up to pour herself a glass of water. “Want some?” N!Five without realising nodded. As she took the glass she noticed how badly her hands were shaking. Fuck. Vanya gave her concerned look.  
“You sure you are okay?”  
“How is he?” she dodged the question.  
“Not great. He has rising fever. Also we had to plug him in machines to help him breathe.” Only now N!Five noticed the soft beeping of the machine. It was an unpleasant sound. It was a sign of things going horribly wrong.  
“What did Grace say?”   
“Nothing particular. She took care of his invisible bullet wounds. Gave him some meds. But that was all she could do.” Vanya's voice sounded more than small. There was hope. But very little much of it. It was bad. N!Five knew it. Everyone knew it. She threw a blanket on the ground and scraped to her feet. Before she could exit the room, there was a blue flash.   
  
“Hello. Is he dead yet?” asked the woman in the middle of the room. Suitcase firmly in her hand.  
  
 _Lila?_  
 _What the fuck._

N!Five couldn’t believe her eyes. It was all getting worse and worse.   
Vanya shrank in her chair and instantly grabbed her brother’s hand. There was no reaction from him.   
“Not yet.” She muttered with as much bravery as she could gather.   
“Well, then we still have time.” Lila sat down on bed where N!Five was sleeping a few minutes ago. She caught her attention. “Ah! I haven’t seen you in what...ten years?”  
“Five.” Time was such a feeble conception for Commission employees. “How is your mom?” The Handler. How much N!Five hated that woman. Arrogant and sly as fox. No deal was without a hidden price.   
“She is dead.” Exclaimed Lila with a stone voice. But in her eyes something shifted.

_Are those...tears?_

  
N!Five scoffed. “Well that’s all she deserves.”  
“Yeah.” Lila agreed with her. That was unexpected.   
“WHAT THE FUCK!?” barged in Diego. Knife ready in his hand. Lila quickly stood up, hands in air as a gesture of surrender.  
“Hey, I am here to help. I promise.”  
“Like last time?”   
“That wasn’t my fault.”  
“Oh please.” Diego put down his knife and crossed his arms on his chest. “What the hell are you doing here?”  
“As I said, I’m here to help.”  
With the Commission there was always a catch. “In exchange for what?”   
“I can’t help because of my fondness for the heart?”  
“As if you had any.” Scoffed N!Five. Diego let out silent _Hey._  
“Well I acquired one recently.” Mocked her Lila. “But you are right. I want something.”

  
_Of course you do._

  
“I help Five not to die and in exchange I want 30 minutes with your brother, Klaus.” Lila was now looking at Diego.   
N!Five’s brain went into whirls.

_Five. His name is Five._

She had to grab onto something as she swayed on her feet.

_It’s really him._

Her eyes landed on him. Horribly still with tubes sticking out his tiny frame. His chest coming up and down with such effort. For a second she envied him the peace he had in his sleep. But then again she knew how it felt like being at the edge of death. The urge to run away took over her. She blinked from the room leaving Diego and Lila behind. Blue light cracked in the alley behind the house. Her breath formed clouds in autumn weather. 

_I need a drink, a strong one._

Luckily, she knew the place. 


	4. Welcome back to the land of living

Morning sun prickled N!Five’s eyes open. She was laid against the wall behind the club. Her whole body was stiff. 

_ Shit, I really need to sleep in real bed for once. _

As she stood up N!Five considered jumping back home. But then her rebelling body gave her shot of pain to remind her how stupid idea it was. She had to walk. At least she could think about what happened yesterday. Five appearing out of nowhere, bleeding on her favourite carpet. Then her stupid siblings being simpletons as per usual. And then goddamned Lila. It was as if a portal tore open flooding her with everything she couldn’t understand. And she had to think of what she wanted to say to Five. There was so much to tell, to ask. And yet nothing at all.   
As she turned over the corner, the grand mansion of Sparrow Academy loomed over her. 

_ God, I hate this fucking house. _

Every time she looked at it, memories would pour in. The nonsense training, sleepless nights, the banter between everyone every day. And then it always snapped into a wildly different picture.  
Ruined, mangled and smoking. With everyone inside dead. She never liked any of her siblings. Most definitely not Reginald. But seeing them laying still and covered in ashes. It burnt itself into her brain.   
And the feeling of realisation that she is truly alone, in wasteland, perhaps forever without way back. That never left her heart. And what came after was too hard to even think about.   
N!Five pushed the heavy door open and walked into happy chatter. It was coming from upstairs. 

_ Medical wing…Five?!  _

Smile broke over her face and her heart fluttered. She ran up the stairs, her legs protesting a bit but she ignored it. Before she went inside, she gave herself a second to catch breath. And tidy up. No one needs to know that she had a hellish night.   
Five was sitting up in bed. Colour in his cheeks but still frowning. His siblings were all over him. Then his eyes met hers. He frowned even more. “Who is she?!” he pointed at her. Needle still stuck in his hand.   
“Welcome back to the land of living.” N!Five sighed. She couldn’t let him know how glad she was to see him alive. But then the anger flew in. “I have a question for you as well. Where the fuck have you been?!”   
She took a few steps forward. Luther immediately stepped in front of Five’s bed. Protecting him. Five’s head popped out behind Luther’s back.   
“What are you talking about? I’ve never seen you before in my life.”   
“Well Lila had a beef with you too and you had no idea.” Remarked Diego. Five gave him a strong look.   
“That wasn’t me. But The Handler,you idiot.”   
“Well I looked wildly different. You know…bit older.” She drew his attention back.  
“Listen lady, I had few really shitty days and I don’t have time for this.” He ripped a needle out of his hand. “I. DON’T. KNOW. YOU. Got it?”   
That shouldn’t hurt as much as it did. She was aware he just escaped dying by millimetres and that could make anyone snarky. But N!Five needed to make him remember. She needed to know why he left and never even came looking for her. But she couldn’t do it while all of his siblings were guarding him as dogs.

_ With good sleep or without it, fuck it.  _

She blinked next to him and grabbed him by shoulder. Before anyone of them could do anything, they were gone. 


	5. Kat...?

“Do that again and I will cut you!” Five was scraping himself up from the ground.   
“I need to talk to you.”  
“You didn’t hear a single thing I just said?”  
“I did. But –“ she took a few seconds to consider if she wanted to reopen that chapter of their past. But it was the only way to make him remember. “I am the only one who knows what happened in Tahiti in 1958.”   
She still could remember him standing over the railing as if it was yesterday.  
Five opened his mouth to quickly remark something, but then realisation dawned upon him. In silence that fell between them a pin drop could be heard. His eyes became slits as he measured her.   
“Kat…?” he almost whispered. He grabbed a chair next to him and sank down. Spatial jumps were exhausting even if he wasn’t the one doing it.   
“I prefer N!Five these days.” She smiled at him. It wasn't an honest smile. It was a mask that stops people from falling to their knees. “So now, when you DO know who I am. I ask again, where the fuck have you been all those years.”  
“Years?” he shook his head. “It’s been like-,” he started counting in his head. “Fourteen days. Two goddamn weeks. “  
“Two weeks?!” N!Five couldn’t believe her ears. “Well for me, if you would like to know, it was six fucking years.”   
He gaped at her.

_Lift your jaw from the floor, Five._

  
“Six years since you left me in Dallas.” She added. They had a mission together. Making sure that JFK’s brain will splatter all over Jackie’s pink coat. He was covering the west side and she was at the east one. Until she realised that his gun never fired. When she ran to his signed place, he was gone.  
“ I went home.” He brought her back from her memories. “I fucked up equations so I ended up looking like this.” Five gestured over his body with disgust in his face.   
“Yeah I know, you had a typo.”   
“Huh?”  
“I found your notes, you fool. I followed them and ended up in the wrong version of my body as well. Not that I’m complaining. This one doesn’t break that easily.” That was a lie but he didn’t need to know that.   
Five ran his fingers through his hair. Still sticky with sweat. “What happened after?”  
N!Five took a few steps to look out a window.   
“Oh you know, the usual. They picked me up. Demoted me.” She turned back to him. “Tortured me.”   
“What?” shockingly he sounded concerned. That made her chuckle. “Why?”  
“Because they could. Because they considered me your friend. And they thought I helped you.”  
For years she rather thought he had died than to bear the fact he abandoned her just like that. They were partners. They shared blood on their hands. And he ditched her in fucking Dallas.   
“You had no idea!” he stood up. “Oh fucking Board of the Directors, I am so glad I got to kill them all.”  
“You killed The Board?”  
“Yeah and I bloody enjoyed it.” A shadow skipped over his face. “Even if it was for nothing.”  
“What do you mean?”  
“Not important.” He shrugged.  
“Okay, your turn. What happened to you?”  
“No time.” He automatically answered before he realised that for the first time in weeks there was no clock ticking behind his feet. “Well, long story short. I travelled back. Got stuck looking like this. Tried stop apocalypse, spectacularly failed that one by the way. Travelled in time again and scattered all of my siblings all over, shockingly, Dallas. “ he let out a small chuckle. As if he was just realising how much happened. “ Saw all my siblings die again. Then I had to stop another apocalypse which we brought with us. Then The Handler and Lila made a short but important appearance. And for the third try of time travelling I got us here. Which to be honest I have no fucking idea what this is. I didn’t have much time to do some exploring while dying.” He waved with his hands to gesture that his monologue was over. This time it was N!Five who gaped at him.

_What the fuck, Five. What the fuck._

  
Without realising it, she took a few steps towards him and pulled him into a hug. There were no words to express her disbelief of how much he went through. He almost died right in her house, but hearing that it was not the first time, gave her goosebumps. Five stiffened for a second but then hugged her back. They stood there for minutes. In silence and in embrace.   
“I need to give you a quick rundown of my brilliant brainless siblings.”   
“ Yes please, but I need coffee first.” 


	6. "We are you but better."

“Everyone, take a seat. Now.” Five commanded his siblings while sipping coffee behind the counter.  
“Well, well, look at who is back from dead for a few hours and is already a bitch.” Commented Klaus as he rolled a joint for himself. Diego gave him a stern look. “What? Want some?” he waved with plastic back in front of Diego’s unimpressed face.   
“Shut up, Klaus. Actually all of you just shut up. It’s her who is gonna do the talking.” He pointed at N!Five who was sitting in an armchair sipping from a mug in one hand, and taking puffs from cigarettes in another. She mockingly waved at them.  
“Wait, are we friends with her or what?” questioned Allison.  
“Is it enough to say I trust her with my life?” he took another sip.  
Between their siblings broke out murmur full of disagreement.  
“All right.” N!Five put out her cigarette. “I am gonna give you some tips and tricks on how not get yourself killed here for however much time you are going to stay.” She shifted in an armchair.  
“Obvious facts. You dumbasses got into the wrong timeline.”   
Five slightly choked on his drink. He shot her a look that was clearly offended _“Excuse me?_ ”  
“This is Sparrow academy. We are all assholes who hate each other and Ben is alive.”   
Diego raised his eyebrow and before he could say anything, she stopped him.  
“Yes, I know he is not with you anymore. I can count up to seven Diego. We all have the same powers as you all do. Well in basics. But we are better trained and skilled. Imagine us as updated versions of you. Less boring.”  
N!Five pointed at Luther. He was sitting behind the table, playing with a pen.   
“I’m gonna start with you big boy. You are pretty strong hm? But could you crush a tank?”  
Luther gave it a deep thought but then got distracted by Allison’s laughter. He shot her a look.   
“Well, I take that as no. This !Luther can. Our dear old man, never send him to the Moon.-“  
“How do you know that?”   
“Luther, I know everything. Shut up. So all the time you spent up there, this one spent in training. Never get too close to him or he will smother you to death.” Vanya nervously cracked her knuckles. “Always aim for the neck. Now, Diego. Great Number two.”   
“Call me that again-“  
“And you will throw a knife at me?” N!Five asked him. “ You have so much untapped potential, it’s almost a shame.” Diego rolled his eyes and huffed while he slummed deeper into the sofa. “This !Diego can throw and move and alternate whatever comes to his mind. A lot of anger issues. He hates needles, but he will always put up a great fight.”  
“Oh! You hate needles too!” Laughed Klaus.  
“Never forget to zig zag with him. His attention span is atrocious. Now, Allison. Oh, this is where it gets interesting.”  
“Oh really, only now?” she asked.  
“Well, with her you never know she is actually using her powers.” N!Five stood up. “Unless she wants you to know. She can and will make you feel one particular emotion to the point you can’t do anything else. And there is no way to stop it.”  
“But you did stop it.” interrupted Vanya  
“What?” Five gave N!Five asking look.   
She sighed. “Well, while you were having your nap I had to fight her off.”   
“That explains nothing.”  
“It’s not important. Important is that I didn’t stop it. I just didn’t let it kill me.” N!Five doubted !Allison wanted her dead. “The only way YOU can stop her powers is to get your Allison to rumour you. And well if it happens to you-” she looked at confused Allison. “Good luck then.”  
Umbrella academy looked collectively disoriented. N!Five thought about giving them a break. But it’s better to rip the band-aid off as quickly as possible.   
“Number Five.”   
“You don’t look like him.” remarked Luther who was stuffing something into his mouth that he found in the cabinet. A chocolate maybe.   
“Well Luther thank you for your input but maybe if you would let me CONTINUE in first place I-” she stopped herself. Taking a deep breath. She had to collect herself. It was time to kill the elephant in the room.  
“ I don’t look like him ‘cause I am not him.”  
“Obviously.”  
“I am his twin.”   
Collective “excuse me? what the fuck?!” broke through the audience. Only Five was staring at her, frozen in mid movement with a cup of coffee in his hand. Not even blinking.   
“ All right, all right. Calm the fuck down.”   
“ What do you mean...twin?” Five asked. That information made him dimwitted.   
“ The first time-In your timeline, our mother refused to give up both of us. So Reginald chose you.” He never bothered to explain why or what happened to unclaimed N!Five. “But as you did your time travel bullshit, he knew you will be back.”  
“How?”  
“Look I don’t know okay?! But this time around he chose me. Making the perfect time machine the moment we would meet again. You are time and I am space. A goddamn Tardis.”  
“I am not following.” Five slammed his cup on the table. “This all was NOT supposed to happen. It makes no sense!” He started to pace around the room.  
“ Oh because both us getting stuck in apocalypse and eventually getting paired up by The Commision makes perfect fucking sense!”  
“None of this makes sense!”   
“Uuh guys?” stepped into Klaus. “Should we leave you alone? It’s getting...hostile here.”  
“NO!” they exclaimed at once.   
“ I gotta talk to dad…” Five was frantically going through his hair.   
“ Because that was super helpful last time.” teased Diego.  
“At least I could speak afterwards!” he spat out. And then blinked away.   
  
_Fuck. Shit. FUCK!_  
  
“Well that went amazingly, don’t you all think?” Allison was pouring herself and Klaus glass of whiskey.   
“What about the rest of us?” whispered Vanya. As if she was afraid.   
“What about you?” shot back N!Five. Then she realised. “Ben is alive and an absolute dick. His mouth is more powerful than his actual powers. Don’t ever listen to him. And you Vanya…” she thought through her next words. “You are still the kindest one. “   
N!Five knew she probably offended the rest of the room but didn’t care. She still remembered the way Five talked about her when they worked together. And her Vanya was the one who never attacked her and even played songs for her. Vanyas were too good for their own good.   
“I can’t destroy the world? I mean...my version--uh her-”   
“ Of course you both can. But that doesn’t change what I said. Oh and my Vanya can also kick ass.” Really the only difference was that Sparrow Vanya was combat trained.   
“Any questions?” N!Five looked at each one of them. They all dodged the possibility of meeting her eyes, so she took that as an answer. She blinked away.


	7. Silence before the storm

The first thing N!Five’s hand met reappearing in her room was the wall. And then again.

_FUCK!_

Then a chair flew across the room, smashing as it hit the floor.

_What is his problem?! WHAT IS MINE?!_

She grabbed a snowglobe from the table and was ready to break a window with it.   
  
“Miss Kat, is everything fine?” Pogo’s voice was muffled through the wooden door.   
“YES!”   
“I heard something breaking.”

_Yeah, my nerves._

“I said I am fine. Leave.”   
“Can you tell me that to my face?”   
That made her even more pissed off. N!Five put the snowglobe down and snapped next to Pogo. She grabbed him by shoulder to turn him around and he winced. She loosened her grip a little.   
“Listen to me Pogo. If Reginald does something to Five-”  
“Miss Kat I don’t know what you are talking-”   
“You know very well what I am talking about.” N!Five was certain that Pogo knew about every hellish strategy Reginald Hargreeves came up with. “If he touches even a strand of his hair on his head, I am swearing to that ignorant God you all pray to, that hell will break loose with me. Got it?”   
Pogo swallowed a big lump of air and nodded. N!Five let him go and fixed his sweater. “And next time I say I am fine, Pogo. You better believe me.”   
She watched him limp away. N!Five hated being mean to him. He was just an old man. Old chimpanzee actually. But she also knew that Reginald cared for him more than he did for his children. Threatening Pogo was virtually the same thing as threatening Reginald. A man Five is about to meet again.   
She went back into her room, this time through the door. N!Five pulled from underneath her bed wooden box.

_Ah, come to me._

She opened it and reached out for a bottle of wine. With swift movement she threw it against the wall. Glass shattered all over the floor. The red was dripping and soaking into white. That made her smile freeze.   
  
_All that blood...for what?_  
  
She reached out for another bottle. Whiskey. This time she popped it open and took a long gulp. There was another knock on the door.

_That better not be Pogo or else..._

Three knocks repeated again.   
“What?!” N!Five didn’t bother moving an inch.  
“Em..shouldn’t we go with him?.” It was a woman's voice.

_I bet my ass it’s Vanya._

“ And what exactly for? Is there something you would like to ask the Old man?” She wanted to go after Five. Yet she couldn’t.  
“No but maybe he will need back up. And since you are his twin-”  
Twin. That word came out wrongly. No one used to talk about it because nobody knew. Now everybody did.  
N!Five opened the door.

_I knew it!_

“We are not going after him.” Vanya looked at her like a kicked puppy. “We are waiting for him.” N!Five clarified


	8. The Storm I.

After a short banter between N!Five and Diego, they settled that they will wait for Five in the living room. That’s a place he jumped from, hopefully he will return there as well.  
“You didn’t answer my question.” turned to N!Five Diego.  
She gave him a confused look. “What question?”   
“What is the rule of protection? You went cold before you could answer me.”  
“ That’s not important.”   
“ You seemed pretty serious when you were declaring it.” he put air quotes around “declaring”. That made her chuckle.   
“Okay fine.” N!Five was looking for words she could use to make the explanations short as possible. “We are all assholes who didn’t resist several times to hurt or even kill each other's loved ones. So we decide to make a rule of protection. It’s unbreakable.”  
“What happens if somebody does break it?”   
“You don’t wanna know.”   
Yet they were about to find out. Because with blue flash Five reappeared in the living room. As they hoped for.  
Five came crashing through light. Stumbling back. He knocked the table with the lamp over. And then he hit the floor himself. N!Five immediately knew something was wrong. She ran to him. Diego and Vanya close behind.   
Five was shaking on the ground. Gasping for air. His hands desperately tried to untie his tie. N!Five fell to her knees next to him.   
“Hey! Hey, Five, look at me! It is like the others?!” But he didn’t register her at all. His only goal was to get air.  
“What is happening to him?” whimpered Vanya.   
“It's a panic attack.” N!Five was lifting Five’s upper body. She had to check his neck. “Shit.” There was a red line pulsing on his skin.   
She laid him back. Her hands clasped his face. Trying to make him look at her. Unsuccessfully.  
“What?”   
“!Allison got him.” N!Five knew they didn’t have much time.  
“What does it mean?”   
“That you need to get your Allison.” She shifted Five into her lap. Her fingers untying his tie that he still didn’t manage to get off. She knew that it won’t help him, but she couldn’t stomach his desperate attempts. “RIGHT NOW!” with that Diego bolted out of the room.  
“Can I help him somehow?” pleaded Vanya but N!Five just shook her head. “What is gonna happen to him?” she was scared.  
“If we get Allison in time, he will be fine. Just in need of a nap.”   
“And if-” Vanya didn’t dare to finish the question out loud.  
“He will die.” that felt like a dozen stab wounds at once.  
Five was muttering something under his breath. They couldn’t make out what it was but then the tears started pouring and that made his breathing even worse. “SHIT!” Allison covered her mouth at the sigh of her brother on the floor.  
“You need to rumour him.”   
“What am I supposed to say?!” Rumours could backfire horribly.   
N!Five’s mind went wild. Thinking of the best possibility. But Five’s started wheezing. “Just say her powers stopped working on him.”   
Alisson noded and repeated it. It took a few seconds before it reached Five. To N!Five’s relief his body went limp but his heart kept beating. He was asleep.   
“Can you look after him?” she looked at Vanya who was more than keen on taking care of Five. Diego picked up his body and laid him on the couch. Vanya covered him with a blanket. Like that he looked like a teenager who just fell asleep watching TV. Not as someone who escaped Death twice within 24hours.  
“What are you gonna do?” turned around Diego but N!Five was gone.


	9. The Storm II.

“ YOU FUCKING BITCH! You broke the rule!” N!Five pointed at !Allison standing under the very balcony from which one they all saw Five dying on the floor. The blood stain was still there, no one took time to clean it.   
“I thought you never lived by rules.”    
“This one is unbreakable and you know it well!” N!Five’s hands were shaking. Blue light slightly zapped from them.   
“Well and you betrayed us. Maybe there is no such thing as unbreakable.” The voice came from behind her. Diego. Knife he played with seemed to almost cut his own fingers. Not that he would mind.   
“Betray?” she laughed. “What exactly did I betray?!”   
“Your family.” from another corner emerged Luther. Behind him loomed Ben and Klaus.

  
_ This reminds me hell of an ambush. _

_   
_ N!Five’s eyes darted around the room. “You call this family?! We are NOTHING but seven strangers who wouldn’t mind killing each other!”    
“And whose fault is it?”   
“Excuse me?”   
“After you came back, you thought you were better than us. Like you were special or something just because you were an assassin for a few years.” Ben took the lead.   
“Few years? FEW YEARS?!” N!Five couldn't believe her ears. “I was alone for twenty years you imbecil! In the wasteland, alone! Stuck. Deserted! I can’t believe I actually buried your bodies. And then for another twenty years I was killing machine. I wasn’t just an assassin, I was best out there.” her voice was going louder without her control. She couldn’t stop herself. “ Ben, enlighten me, who you think I was killing all those years? Some grannies at a tea party?! I have more blood on my hands than all of you collectively in this room! It could be twenty of you and I still could kill you all in such splender that you can’t even imagine. So go on! TRY ME BEN!”    
“Enough.” halted her Reginald. He was leaning against the door frame. She was sure he heard every word.    
“!Allison broke the rule of protection. I demand justice!” N!Five knew how childish she sounded. As a child telling on siblings. As if anything could be expected from Reginald. “That is what you promised after Luther killed Diego’s girlfriend!   
“Hey!” they both shouted.   
“Yes. That is what I promised.” For some reasons that gave her hope. A relief. And then he killed it. “But that doesn't apply for an order. Or better said valuable exchange. You see, as deadly as you might be, you have a very large soft spot.”   
Reginald walked to her. Stopping inches from her face. How tables have turned. “I ordered !Allison to break the rule of protection.”   
“Why?” The word wasn’t louder than whisper. The rest of the room became blurred. Her instincts were screaming at her but she couldn’t move.   
“Because I knew it would provoke you.” he smiled at her. “And you have no value for me anymore.”   
N!Five could feel cold metal sliding between her ribs. And getting pulled out right after. Her hand immediately reached to the wound. It was slick and warm. She knew the feeling. But it was never her blood. Not once.

_ Fuck!  _

She fell to her knees. The room became silent. She couldn’t tell if anyone was still there. Her body hit the floor. It was getting cold. But she couldn’t shiver. Or move. Or breathe. The world came undone. 


	10. Old friend?

The alarm blasted through the mansion. It was time for the mission. Steps were echoing from the staircase. Then the silence fell with the slam of the door.   
Five shifted on the sofa but didn’t wake up. Vanya looked at Diego.  
“Shouldn’t we go check upon N!Five?”  
“I will go. You stay here with him.” he handed her one of his knives.   
“What is that for?”   
“For anything your powers couldn’t handle. I can afford any more surprises.”  
On the staircase he bumped into Luther, Klaus and Allison.   
“Hey, where are you going?”  
“ To grab a snack.” answered Klaus.   
“Are you serious? You didn’t tell them?” he asked Allison.   
“I did, that’s why we need some food. To-”   
“Shit!” gasped Luther.  
They followed Luther’s gaze. “  
N!Five!” they all came running to her body unmoving on the floor. Diego knelt over her, checking her breath.  
“She is alive.” he sighed with relief.   
Klaus took off his shirt and stuffed it onto her wound. In his mind, bombs started going off. Vietnam. Shit. He shook his head.  
“What are we gonna do?”   
“Save her?” Luther was already picking her up. “Shit, she is lighter than Five.”   
“I am gonna get Vanya and Five. Meet you in the medical wing.” Diego ran off.   
“Who did this?”  
“Isn’t that obvious? Goddamned Sparrow Academy.” They were taking stairs by two. The door into the room flew open. Grace woke up from recharging with the sound of it. Luther put N!Five on bed. She was pale. And still. Luther hated that. He hated having to carry two Fives at brink of death into this room.  
Vanya, Diego and Five folded in his arms came right after them. Five was still out. !Allison got him good.  
“Shit! What happened?” Vanya couldn’t take her eyes off N!Five as Grace was treating her wounds.   
“We found her like this.” Diego was locking up the door. In case those assholes return too soon.  
Five turned to the other side. Still unaware of chaos that broke open.  
“What are we gonna do if they come back?”   
“We gonna fight them.”   
“Are you serious? We can’t fight them.” Allison sat down on a chair next to Five’s bed.  
“She is right. They are better than us.” Agreed Vanya.   
“Well I don’t see many other options.” Shrugged Diego.   
“Master Luther? Miss Allison?” came from behind the door. “It’s me, Pogo.” he knocked a few times.   
They all exchanged questioning looks. Five shot up straight on the bed. That made them jump.   
“What’s going on?” he rubbed his eyes.  
“What are we going to do?” whispered Klaus. Allison shushed Five. He shot her confused look. Then his gaze landed on N!Five. He blinked next to her.   
“THE FUCK HAPPENED?”   
“SHUSH!”  
“Could you please open the door?” asked Pogo. “I need to talk to you. We don’t have much time.”   
“Should we let him in?” Luther looked at Diego who shook his head. But before they could actually decide, Five was unlocking the door.   
Pogo walked it and his face bore a look of sorrow when he saw N!Five. “I must warn you.”  
“Oh, you have more excellent news for us?” asked Klaus.  
“Master Klaus, I am endangering my life just by talking to you.” Pogo hung his head. “But I know how much you all mean to Miss Kat.”   
“Kat?”  
“Yes, Katarina.” Pogo seemed a bit confused. “But she preferred N!Five for the past few years.” he looked at Five fidgeding next to the hospital bed. He was biting his nails.   
“What do you wanna warn us about.” Diego was nervously walking around.   
“You must immediately leave. Before they come back.”   
“Leave where?”  
“Anywhere. You are no longer safe here.” He looked at N!Five once again. They all understood what it meant. Their shield was shot down. That drew Five’s attention. “But that means leaving her here!” he blinked in front of Pogo. “I am not doing that!”  
“Five-” Luther grabbed him by the shoulder but Five shook him off.  
“They will finish her!” his voice was desperate.  
“Master Five I am afraid I can’t guarantee her safety but she wouldn’t want you to stay here.” he looked into Five’s eyes. Green eyes full of resistance.  
“Five, he is right, she literally almost gave her life for us. We must go.” approached him Allison.   
Five shook his head. He ran his hand through his hair. “Well.” he turned to her. “You all are welcome to go. I will find you later.” he blinked back next to N!Five’s bed.  
“Five! We are not splitting.”   
“And I am not going.”  
“I have a better idea.” interrupted them Diego.   
“Oh really? Enlighten us.” Five crossed his arms but he didn’t look at him. He kept looking at N!Five. And he cursed himself for going to Reginald. If he didn’t !Allison wouldn’t have rumoured him. And then…   
“I will call Lila.”   
“Come again?”   
“You heard me.”  
“ Would you care to explain?”  
“We don’t have time.” Five scoffed. That was his favourite excuse. “She works for the Commission.”   
“And that’s where we are going.”   
“No.” There is no willpower of this world that would get Five go back there.   
“Five, I am not arguing with you. If we stay here, we are dead. For once, take the backseat of saving us.”   
Five wanted to say something back but Diego was already out of the door. He looked at his siblings with disbelief but they all shrugged. There wasn’t much to add. His eyes darted back to N!Five. He noticed blue light slightly coming from her hands. Hands that were clawing into the bedsheet. She winced. Five reached out for her hand. “Hey.” he brushed a strand of hair away from her face.   
“Oh nice, I did save you then.” Lila appeared in the middle of the room. Well known suitcase in her hand. “Oh no.” she noticed N!Five. “Why is always one of you dying?”   
“Lila!” came back Diego.  
“Hello knife boy.” She gave him a smile. “I didn’t expect your call so soon.”  
“I need you to take us to Commision. Now.”  
“Why?”  
“I’ll explain later. Luther go and pick her up.” he pointed at N!Five. “Everyone else you have two seconds top to grab anything you need.”   
“We have nothing here Diego.”  
“Fine, then we are ready to go.”   
They gathered around Lila. It was painfully familiar and all they could hope for was that his time, they will land where they want.


	11. "You made me a killer!"

They appeared in the old Handler’s office. Heavily redecorated.   
“You like pink?” Diego stared at freshly painted walls.  
“Yeah, why wouldn’t I?” asked back Lila as she was picking up the phone. “Herb, send us here meds, would you?”  
“Cause I never saw you in anything but black.”  
“That’s a lie. I had a turquoise dress when we danced together.” She sat down in a big armchair. “Whiskey anyone?”   
“Yes.” they all said at once.   
Through door nurses wheeled the bed into the room and Luther laid N!Five on it. His shirt was stained with blood.   
“You can go with her.” Lila looked at Five.   
“Thanks but I wasn’t waiting for your permission.” Five grabbed a glass of whiskey.  
“I will go with you.” stood up Vanya.   
“You don’t have to.”   
“I know, I just don’t want you to be alone.” she smiled at him. She locked her arm with his and they were gone.   
“So, anyone bold enough to explain to me what just happened?”   
They all slurped their whiskey and no one said anything.   
“All right then, silence it is.” Lila poured herself another one. “Herb, can you come here again please. We need to find a place for our guest to sleep at.”

After a few hours Five found himself pacing around the hospital room.   
“Sit down Five.” Vanya was staring out of the window into the garden.  
“I can’t.”  
“Walking won’t make her wake up sooner.” Five knew that. He knew that nothing might help. Vanya looked at him. Her brown eyes hiding a question. “Spit it out.” “How do you feel?”   
“That’s irrelevant.”  
“Five…c’mon.”   
He leaned against the wall. As he closed his eyes, his lungs gave out sigh. “I’m fine.” Five knew that was a lie. But N!Five was dying. So in the spectrum of problems in this room, he was fine.   
Vanya shook her head. “How long were you with The Commision. We never asked…”   
That took Five by surprise. Diverting his thoughts from N!Five. “What?”   
“I mean, you never talked about your time being stuck here. Or in apocalypse.”   
He clenched his jaw. “There is nothing to talk about.”   
“Did you hate it here?” Vanya refused to back down.   
Five slid down to the floor. Picking up thread on his shorts.

_I need to change. Irrelevant._

“No, I absolutely loved killing innocent people just to get back to you all.”   
“Five, that’s not what I meant.” She walked to him. Sitting across him, getting on his level. He refused to look at her.  
“Did they do something to you? I mean...if you were stuck in the wasteland all alone, how did you get used to people again?”   
He always wondered how it felt having salt put into a wound. Now he knew. His heart skipped a beat. “Vanya stop.” his words were getting stuck.   
“You can’t keep avoiding your past.”   
“No one asked you for your interference, Vanya.” he was getting annoyed.

_No, not annoyed. Scared._

The ashes started falling around. He closed his eyes again.  
“Five, I don’t care if you killed innocent people. I mean I can’t judge you for it when I am someone who literally ended the world.” Vanya hung her head.   
“That wasn’t your fault!” he snapped at her. Five’s mind knew exactly what Vanya wanted to hear but he was refusing to let her know who he really was. What really happened. What they did. He just couldn’t let his sweet sister know what horrible person he became.   
Vanya grabbed his hand. “And none of this was your fault.”   
That pushed the wrong button in him. Five blinked away, crashing into a table next to the window.   
“Well Vanya, it WAS my fault!” he could feel anger on his tongue. He could taste it. “ I refused to listen to Reginald! I was cocky and arrogant and I got myself stuck in fucking apocalypse. I got myself altered by The Commission. I couldn’t stop you from ending the world! I got us stuck in Dallas and in the wrong timeline. And I got myself rumoured which ended up with Kat being like this!” he pointed at his sister plugged into machines. Five could feel tears forming in his eyes.   
“Altered by the Commision?” Vanya looked at him, confused.   
Five took a deep breath. “You wanna know why I was one of the best here? Why were we both?” his eyes darted from Vanya to N!Five and back. Vanya nodded. “Because we were of such high value for the commision, with our powers, they had us undergo an operation.” He saw white lights and he could hear the clanging of metal surgical tools. He turned around. He just couldn’t see Vanya’s face. or how it will change in a minute. He bit his tongue.  
“Go on.” encouraged him Vanya, still sitting on the floor.  
“They smashed into our DNA the DNA of every serial killer out there. Their senses, way of thinking, habits, bloodlust. Everything. I am talking about Garavito, Popkov, Bundy, Gacy. You name them and we got them in us.”   
This time he let tears fall. He hid his face into his hands. Five could feel sobs climbing up his throat. And then he could feel arms wrapping around him.   
“Hey.” Five never noticed when Vanya got up from the floor, all that matter was she was right next to him now. He plunged into her. Desperately holding onto her. She didn’t move an inch. His eyes landed on N!Five once again. “It’s my fault, my fault.” he let out sobs into Vanya’s shoulder.   
She was stroking his back. “No Five, it isn’t.” His knees gave upon him. Vanya barely held up both of them. She slowly sat Five down on the sofa next to the window. Five wanted to stop crying. He hated it. But he also hated The Commision. And Reginald, and the fact he didn’t know if N!Five will wake up. And he hated that he felt too old and too young at the same time.

_Thanks to you, I don’t belong anywhere. You made me a killer!_

“It’s gonna be okay Five, you no longer have to do any of it.” whispered Vanya to him. She brushed away his hair from face and wiped the tears away. “You don’t have to kill ever again, you hear me?”  
Five weakly nodded and buried his head back into Vanya’s shoulder. If he could believe in God, he would pray for her not let him go.


	12. Sleep I.

If there was an afterlife, N!Five didn’t believe in it.   
She found herself standing on top of a hill. The air was salty, she could taste it. Her side throbbed with pain but when she checked it out, there was nothing.

_Don’t tell me I am dead. Shit, am I?_

She looked around. Grass around her swayed in the breeze. Above her head clouds were gathering.  
“N!Five!” a voice shouted from the distance. She turned around. Someone was running to her. Her eyes tried to recognize the person. A boy. In uniform.

_Five?_

Her heart skipped a beat. Then the dread hit her.

_If I am dead...does it mean?_

Five was almost in front of her. He was laughing. She didn’t know about what. Droplet of rain landed on her face. She wanted to run to him but she couldn’t move. “N!Five!” he repeated. Outstretching his arms to hug her. She did the same.   
Inches away from each other Five got grabbed by the collar and was yanked back. Wiping joyful expressions from his face. N!Five still couldn’t move.   
“Not so quickly, darling.” Handler puffed out a ring of smoke. She was grinning, from ear to ear. Chill ran down N!Five spine.   
“Let me fucking go!” Five was trying to get out of Handler’s grip. A thunder echoed in the distance.   
“You both thought you could live happily ever after? How naive.” Handler pulled out the knife, light hitting it at the wrong angle.   
“Listen to me, you want me. Not him. Not him, please.” N!Five fell to her knees.   
“I want you to suffer. And this is the best way to achieve it.” Five was still wriggling in Handler’s grasp.   
“I beg you!” N!Five shouted seconds before the knife pierced Five’s chest. His painful gasp was interrupted by blood filling his mouth. His vest darkened. Handler’s eyes were locked on N!Five as she blew her a kiss. Five’s body lifelessly fell into the grass.   
“NO!” N!Five sobbed. She tried to crawl to Five. She wanted to hold him. “Please no!”   
As if with the blink of an eye Five and Handler were gone. N!Five's chest tightened. Something hit her next to her heart.

_The fuck?_

And then the world went black again.


	13. Sedatives don't work for us.

Five was folded in Vanya’s lap. Tears still glistened on his cheeks. He was sleeping again. Vanya couldn’t remember where was the last time he slept that much. 

  
_It has been a long time since I’ve had a good sleep._ She recalled the conversation they had in his old room, back at home. 

  
“Not him. Please…” Vanya looked to the directions those words came from.  
N!Five was twitching on the bed. Her hands pulsing with blue. Something was wrong. “Please.”    
Vanya gently laid Five on the sofa and walked to N!Five. Her heartbeat was skyrocketing. N!Five’s head was snapping from one side to another.    
“Hey, shush, hey.” Vanya tried to talk her down. Didn’t work. Another series of pleads. N!Five was crying.   
“Shit.” Vanya pushed the button to call a nurse. A lady walked into the room with calmness that melted away the moment she saw thrashing N!Five. She grabbed an injection from a nearby cabinet.    
“NO!” screamed desperately N!Five. Her hands shook as the blue light was getting stronger.   
“She is gonna jump!” warned the nurse Vanya.   
“No, she isn’t” she said as she stabbed the needle into her chest.   
“What’s that?”   
“Sedatives, it should let her sleep in peace. She needs that.” Nurse was checking N!Five’s heartbeat as it was slowing down. She fixed her pillow and highered dosage of morphine. “If it repeats, call me. I’ll be right next doors.” Her eyes caught sleeping Five. “Does he need anything?” Vanya shook her head. With that lady left the room.    
Vanya let out sigh. She pulled a chair next to N!Five’s bed. She never really looked at her before. There was not that much time to do so.   
Five shifted on the sofa. He miscalculated and ended up on the floor with thud. “Shit.”   
“You okay?”    
“Yeah.” He dusted himself off. “Sorry for…” he couldn’t find the right word. 

_ Meltdown? Outburst? Fit of rage or regret?  _

  
“It’s fine, Five. You needed that.” she smiled at him. “You are not invincible.”   
“Yeah well…” he shrugged. “Sometimes I-”    
Shot of blue light interrupted him. N!Five was starting to move around in bed.    
“Shit.”   
“Is she waking up?” Five blinked next to Vanya.   
“No. She is having a nightmare. Again.” Vanya was reaching for a button to call personnel.   
“Again?” he grabbed Vanya’s hand. “What are you doing?”   
“Calling a nurse for sedatives?” she frowned at him.   
“No use.” he shook his head. “Those burn through our system like nothing.”    
N!Five kicked out the blanket from her. “Not him, please!”   
“Who is she talking about?” Five came closer to bed. Vanya just shrugged. “No idea. But it seems it is the same dream as a while ago.”   
“I beg you!” N!Five cried out. “Please!” Her hands were charging to jump.   
Five noticed it and grabbed them.  
“Stop it!” He didn’t know better. She paid no attention to him. He could feel electricity coming from her hands. “Listen to me!” his voice cracked.   
Vanya backed away. Giving them a space.    
Five knew if he lets N!Five spatial jump she wouldn't survive it. Not yet. His thoughts were racing. He quickly let go of her hands and moved them to hold her face. Forcing her stop moving from side to side.   
“Kat.” he whispered. He could feel her heartbeat shaking her whole body. His sleeve was soaking in her tears.  
“C’mon. Stop it.” He put his forehead against hers. She was burning up.    
But it seemed that she heard him. He looked at her hands. The blue was fading away.    
Five sat down on a chair where Vanya sat a few moments ago. 

_ Why does everything go so goddamn quickly?  _

He took N!Five’s hand again. Holding it close to his chest. Five knew that nightmares would come back soon. He had them often enough to know.    
“Here.” Vanya handed him a glass of water.   
“Don’t you have anything stronger?” he looked up on her.   
“You don’t need anything stronger right now, take the water.”   
“Well, I strongly disagree but okay.” he drank it all at once.    
Vanya went back to the window. A shadow of a smile skipped on Five’s lips. He was glad he didn’t have to be alone. They had a long night ahead of them.


	14. thin line between love and hate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this one was absolutely unnecessary chapter but...here we are

“Would you call me if you weren’t in mortal danger?” teased Lila.  
Diego shot her disgusted look. “Excuse me?”  
“What? A girl can’t ask?” she threw a piece of chocolate into her mouth. “Want some?”   
“ I don't know if I would call you,” he admitted. “I am still pretty pissed off.”   
“I saved your ass and your siblings’s ass more than once by now. So little gratitude would be welcomed.”   
“You lied to me, several times. And you drugged me! If anything it’s a tie!.” Diego took a sip of whiskey. “How is Herb doing by the way?”  
“Oh that little turd? Well quite unexpectedly good.” Lila meaningfully nodded her head. “I mean the bar was low enough after my dear mummy, but you know what I mean.”  
“So you are not in charge, huh?”   
“Oh hell no!” she laughed. “I just kept the boss’s office. And redecorated it. You know, out of spite.”   
“ Being bitter solves nothing, Lila.”   
“Because you know what you are talking about.” chuckled Lila. “How is your dad? He has a thing for stabbing as I see.” she mimicked stabbing someone.   
Diego rolled his eyes. “Still a prick. Thankfully left in a different timeline.” he shrugged.   
“ What do you want to do now?” she looked at him. Something shifted in her face.   
“No idea.” he looked away. “Why?”  
“You could become one of us. Agent of time and space.” she made a grant gesture. “Wouldn’t you like it?”  
“Hell no.”   
“You would be with me.” she added.   
“Lila.” he put down his glass and leaned against the table. “Why would I want that?”  
“Because you love me.” She looked straight into his eyes.   
“No. I don’t.” he said but his face betrayed him. Lila smiled.  
“Five was right.” she leaned back into her chair. “You can go. Go check out your room. I prepared you a surprise.”   
“I hate surprises.” He straightened himself up.  
“You will like this one. I promise.” she said and gestured to him to go.   
When he was almost out of the door, Diego turned around. Lila was smiling at him but there was something else behind that smile.  
Maybe one day he will understand. But not today.


	15. Sleep II.

N!Five had no sense of time. She had no idea how many hours or days had passed. She had no idea if it was night or day. She didn’t even know if she was dead or alive.  
Five kept on dying on her and she kept being unable to save him. The only thing that changed was that now it was pouring.   
She tried to jump somewhere. Lighting up her hands but it never worked. She couldn’t blink away for the love of God. She curled up in a hole she dug herself in the ground. Rain was turning it into a pool of mud. But she didn’t care.

_Five is dead. I can die too._

“Why are you such a failure?” Five appeared in front of her.   
“You are alive?”   
“No. I am a ghost because you are losing your goddamn mind.” he looked at her with such a dose of hatred, her stomach turned around.   
“Five…”   
“You said you are one of the best assassins out there. Yet you couldn’t save me from the old hag that Handler is.” he moved closer to her. “You are pathetic, that’s what you are.”  
“I tried! I couldn’t move!”  
“You have the ability to jump through time and space. All you are saying are excuses. It’s all nothing but bullshit.”  
N!Five had enough of it. “Okay fine. But you are ALSO one of best assassins out there. How come you got yourself killed by the Handler, huh?!”   
But before Five could answer, the scenery changed. She found herself in water. The coldness was breaking her bones.  
“Look what you have done.” Five was floating near her. Blood colouring water around him. She swam to him.   
“Look what have you done.” Echoed behind her. Another Five floating.  
“Look what have you done!” a choir of voices shouted at her.   
Wherever she looked, there was her brother floating and bleeding to death.   
Blaming her for it. She charged her powers again.

_Please, please. I need to get out of here. I know I belong to hell but not yet, please._

N!Five closed her eyes and with all the power that was left in her, she jumped.


	16. Tahiti, 1958

With scream Five’s hand lost grip on N!Five’s. She blinked away.

_SHIT!_

Within a few seconds the table with tools came crashing down as N!Five appeared next to it. She was surrounder my scalpels and broken bottles. Vanya ran to her but Five got there before her.  
“Hey!” he reached for her.  
“DON'T TOUCH ME!” she shouted at him. Her eyes blinking rapidly, trying to focus. The room was spinning around her. She reached to her ribs. Stitches were still in place.  
Five moved backwards, unsure of what to do. “Everything's fine.”  
“No.” N!Five looked around. “You are not real.”  
He tilted his head. “I am. We both are.” he looked at Vanya who was standing nearby. She was lost just like him. “You are safe.”  
“You are dead.”  
“No, no, I am fine. Here, check my pulse.” he outstretched his arm.  
“You are a ghost. You are dead.” N!Five shook her head. “I killed you. I couldn’t save you.”  
Five’s mind was trying to find the right words to ground her. “You did save me.”  
He took a step closer to her. She flinched. He stopped. “You are the only one who knows what happened in Tahiti in 1958.”  
The bridge flashed right before her eyes. “September 1958.” she murmured.  
Five took another step and crouched down to her level. “Exactly. Tahiti. You saved me, remember?.”  
N!Five started putting pictures together. “Five?” she looked at him, finally seeing him. Her blue eyes met his green ones.  
He outstretched his arm again. “Check my pulse.”  
This time she did. Her fingers finding the right spot to feel his heartbeat. Strong and steady. She looked around.

_Vanya. Hospital room. Five. Five is fine._

N!Five took a deep breath. And threw herself at him. “You are alive!” she whimpered. “I thought I lost you!”  
“Well, that makes two of us.”he tightened his grip around her. She was still shaking.  
“I thought I lost you goddamn it.” she could feel tears filling her eyes. “You hated me.You fucking hated me.”  
“There's your proof it was a nightmare.” Five pulled her back, so he could see her face. Those sad eyes broke his heart. “I could never hate you, you hear me?”  
Nurse came through the door. Vanya called her without their notice.  
“Darling, let’s get you to bed.”  
“I’ll do it.” Five waved the nurse's hand away. He helped N!Five to her feet. As she was lying down she grabbed his hand. “Don’t leave me.”  
“I won’t.” he sat down. “I’ll be right here.”  
He watched the nurse putting needles back to her arm.  
“I don’t wanna sleep anymore.” N!Five turned to the nurse. She nodded in understanding. “Okay, I won’t give you any more morphine. But you’ll be in pain.”

_I’ve suffered through worse._

“How did we get her?” she asked Five.  
“Thanks to me.” came from the door. All three looked there at once. Lila waved at them. “ Or Diego, depends on the point of view. Anyway, I came here to check upon you. I care about patients here, you know.”  
“Speaking of, where is Diego?”  
“Hopefully checking out his new collection of knives.” she sat down next to Vanya. That made her uneasy. “Chill out babe, I am your friend now, remember?”  
“Stick that up your ass, Lila.” snapped at her Five.  
“Oh, you are always so damn hostile Five.” she tilted her head and looked at N!Five. “How is your wound?”  
“Making sure I didn’t forget about it.” N!Five didn’t return the look. On a few occasions she had the pleasure to work with Lila. And she hated every second of it.

_Maybe now the Handler is gone, she might be bearable. Handler...shit._

She closed her eyes for a second and then snapped it open.

_I can’t sleep. No._

She needed to find her thick skin. Or she had to grow it back. N!Five was no longer sure.  
“Any chance I could get something stronger than water?” she threw puppy eyes at Five.  
He chuckled. “You are taking words from my mouth.” He looked at Vanya, she was shaking her head.  
“I’ll get it for you.” Lila stood up. “Maybe we could bury the war axe with a glass of whiskey?”  
“Get the whiskey and then we might talk.” with that Lila, walked out the room and Vanya followed her.  
She wondered if there was a room where she could play a violin.

_I miss it. Oh, how much I miss it._

The twins were left on their own. Not for long though.


	17. The end.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is too happy I know but I had to give them something good. Sorry.

“EEEY! Look who's back with us!” barged through the door Klaus being followed by Luther and Allison. He was swinging with a bottle of wine.  
Fives were sitting on the porch outside. Catching a bit of fresh air.   
“What are you doing here? Hopefully not gossiping.” Klaus gave them a meaningful look as he took a sip. “Want some?”   
“Oh yes.” N!Five took it from him. Five laughed.   
“God! Is that laughter I hear?!” nudged him Allison as she was settling next to him.  
“Well, yes Allison.” he turned to her with a smile. “I have a reason to laugh.”   
“Feel free to share?” Diego came to them, hand in hand with Lila.   
“Ooooh, Diego, my god am I dreaming?” teased Klaus.   
“Shut up!” Diego rolled his eyes.   
“Well, for once, we are not in mortal danger. That’s new.” Five wrapped around him half of the blanket Allison brought with her.   
“What are you gonna do now?” N!Five asked, not knowing who in particular.   
“I don’t know yet.” Five shrugged.   
“You could stay here, you know.” N!Five said. Only reason why Five was so adamant to return back to his timeline, was his family. And now he had them all here. “There is nothing waiting for you back there.”   
“Maybe not. Maybe there’s nothing for me. But they had their lives back there.” He turned around to look at his siblings. “Allison has her daughter, Luther has his life, Vanya has her old orchestra crew.” They all gave him an unreadable look. “I snatched that from them, they deserve to get it back.”  
N!Five understood that. But she had nowhere to go back. And she hated the idea of Five leaving her behind again. “I get that.” she smiled at him, a sad smile.  
“Well, I don’t know about you guys, but I wouldn’t actually mind staying here.” said Klaus. “They have these amazing saunas, Jesus. A heaven on earth!” he closed his eyes, daydreaming.   
“Klaus!” Luther slapped the back of his head.   
“OW!” Klaus punched him back. “I am fragile bro!”   
“Can you stop it!” mothered them Allison. “You are like small boys.”  
“ And you are not my mother Allison!” Klaus gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Speaking of children, where is Vanya?”  
“Right here!” she came running to them. “I couldn’t find you, guys.” She was trying to catch her breath.  
Five chuckled. “Finally, The Umbrella Academy together at last.” Vanya gave him a smile.   
“ Well, I am not-” started N!Five.  
“YES YOU ARE!” all of them interrupted her.   
“Just like Lila.” threw in Diego.   
Five sharply turned to him. “We will see about that!” he pointed at him.  
“Hey man that’s not fair!”  
“Diego, I am telling you-”   
“SHUT UP!” Allison was pinching the bridge of her nose. “I swear to God, Claire was less work than you all!”  
N!Five’s mind drove off. Banter melting into the background. She closed her eyes. Letting breeze play with her hair. There was a warm feeling inside of her. Something she never knew before. Something only family could give. She found her family.

_Blood bound or not..._

Everything was going to be fine. As long as they stay together.


End file.
